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USA Today
11-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Even when you don't have TB symptoms, this century-old test can still detect the disease.
Even when you don't have TB symptoms, this century-old test can still detect the disease. Show Caption Hide Caption Tuberculosis history and treatment Tuberculosis is spread through the air from one person to another, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease that infects nearly 11 million people worldwide, killing some 1.25 million of them every year, per data from the World Health Organization. A person infected with the disease may experience a range of symptoms such as a low-grade fever, coughing or fatigue on the mild end to a loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, night sweats, back and chest pain and a persistent cough (often with accompanying blood) on the more severe end. TB is spread through airborne particles that are released when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs and another person breathes in those particles. "It's a disease that is highly contagious," explains Amira Roess, a professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University in Virginia. Detecting TB early, she adds, goes a long way toward avoiding some of the disease's worst outcomes and preventing its spread to others. What is a TB test? What is a PPD test? Forms of testing for TB vary depending on what stage of the disease a person is in. The three main stages of the disease are primary (exposure), latent (inactive) and active TB, each reflecting whether TB germs are still contained in the lungs or are actively wreaking havoc. Only someone with active TB has significant symptoms and can spread the disease to others, but it's still important to know if you have the less serious stages of the disease as primary and latent TB can develop into active TB at any time. Symptoms aren't usually present in the primary or latent stage of TB, but there are still two ways to test whether TB germs are present in the body. The first of these is a blood test "which measures the body's immune response to tuberculosis proteins," explains Dr. Richard Doyle, a physician and clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University. The second diagnostic test option is known as a purified protein derivative (PPD) test, but it's commonly referred to as a TB skin test. "TB skin tests have been used in medicine for over a century," says Doyle. The skin test is administered by a healthcare professional using a small needle to inject testing materials under the skin, "typically in the forearm," says Doyle. In case you missed: Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in human history. Here's why. How long do PPD test results take? Results of a PPD test are not immediate because the test has to determine "if the immune system has been previously (affected) by TB exposure," says Doyle, which can take a couple of days. "If your immune system reacts to the injected protein," he explains, "it will cause a firm, raised area at the site of injection." This thickening and hardening of tissue is called an induration and the size of it is measured by your doctor in a return visit 48 to 72 hours after the initial injection took place. If you're unable to return to the doctor within two or three days after the test is first administered, "you may be given instructions for how to read the test results yourself," says Roess. When checked by a healthcare professional, "an induration on the skin of 15 millimeters or more is usually considered a positive TB result in healthy individuals," says Doyle. "But for people at higher risk, such as those with HIV, organ transplant recipients or people on immunosuppressive medications, an induration of just 5 millimeters may be considered positive due to their increased vulnerability to developing active TB." Heads up: What you need to know about whooping cough Who are PPD tests recommended for? PPD tests are suggested for a number of reasons but "are most commonly recommended when a person has been in contact with a person infected with tuberculosis," says Dr. Cathy Hewison, a physician and tuberculosis advisor at the Paris-based humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières. Education enrollment, new employment, traveling to or from certain countries or an immigration application can all be additional reasons a PPD test may be recommended. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also suggests some groups of people be periodically tested under other circumstances. Such groups may include people who have a weakened immune system or conditions such as cancer, diabetes or HIV; if a person has been infected with TB in the past; if one is elderly; has done illegal intravenous drugs; or if one has not received proper treatment for a past TB infection. PPD tests are also commonly recommend for people who work in homeless shelters, hospitals, prisons or nursing facilities. "Healthcare workers are routinely screened as part of occupational health protocols," says Doyle. "Patients who are about to start immunosuppressive therapies such as certain biologic agents or chemotherapy should also be screened for latent TB before treatment begins." If exposure is detected or TB germs are found through PPD testing, Hewison says, "then preventive treatment can be offered to reduce your likelihood of developing active TB or spreading it to others."
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in human history. Here's why.
Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in human history. Here's why. Show Caption Hide Caption Tuberculosis history and treatment Tuberculosis is spread through the air from one person to another, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. When most of us think of serious diseases that kill millions of people, the ones that come to mind are often the ones that get the most attention: cancer, COVID-19, heart disease and diabetes. But a disease that's been killing a shocking number of people for over a century is tuberculous. Each year, tuberculosis kills some 1.25 million people globally and more than 10 times that number become infected with the disease annually, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, the disease is so prevalent that the organization has identified tuberculosis as one of the top 10 leading causes of deaths worldwide. "Since its identification in 1882, over 1 billion people have died from tuberculosis, making it one of the deadliest infectious diseases in human history," says Dr. Richard Doyle, a practicing physician and clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University. Here's what tuberculosis is, how it's transmitted and how you can expect to have it treated if it affects you or someone you love. What is TB? Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is a bacterial infection that primarily affects a person's lungs. Its symptoms vary widely depending on how the slow-growing mycobacterium that causes the infection progresses across three different stages. These stages are known as primary, latent and active. In the primary stage of TB infection, most people don't have symptoms or experience only mild ones like a low-grade fever, fatigue or coughing. In the latent stage, TB germs have survived in the lungs but are contained by the body's immune system, so no symptoms are present. Active TB is what occurs when your immune system is no longer able to suppress the infection, and it begins to spread and cause problems. This can occur soon after becoming infected, but more frequently happens months or even years after the infection has been contained in the latent stage. "Only about 5% to 10% of people infected with TB develop the active form of the disease," says Amira Roess, a professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University in Virginia. When active, a TB infection primarily attacks the lungs, "but can also impact nearly any organ system in the body," says Doyle. A persistent cough—sometimes with accompanying blood—is the most common symptom, says Dr. Cathy Hewison, a physician and tuberculosis advisor at the Paris-based humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières; but other symptoms are also common and include "fever, night sweats and weight loss," she says. Active TB can also cause a loss of appetite, chest or back pain, fatigue, difficulty breathing and even death. Other diseases: What causes brain tumors? Here's why they're not that common. Is tuberculosis contagious? Active TB is highly contagious and spreads through airborne particles that are released when an infected person speaks, sings, coughs or sneezes and others in the room breathe in those particles. "This is why we often see large-scale outbreaks in crowded or closed settings," says Roess. But she stresses again that just because a person gets the disease doesn't mean they will develop symptoms, and only those individuals with active TB "can transmit the bacteria." Doyle adds that anyone infected with TB can potentially develop the active form of the infection, but people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable. Interesting: One woman's viral fever question sparked a very real debate. Is 98.6 outdated? How is tuberculosis treated? The good news is that even if one is dealing with the active form of the disease, TB is still curable—but it requires "a prolonged course of antibiotics," says Doyle. These rounds of antibiotics usually last between four to six months, "and most people respond very well to treatment," says Hewison. Still, because treatment requires a combination of multiple drugs, "it can be difficult for patients to remain adherent for such a long time, especially when the drugs often have unwanted side effects," she says. Another concern Hewison points to is that, during the course of treatment, "TB often naturally develops resistance to drugs." When this occurs and the initial rounds of antibiotics stop working, she explains, "harder and longer treatments are used that usually last six to nine months or as many as 18 months for especially resistant forms of the disease." To prevent this, "treatment should always first be guided by drug susceptibility testing," Doyle says, "which can usually ensure the most effective medications are used." More effective and shortened treatment options are likelier to occur the earlier the disease is identified. "If the infection is caught early and if a patient adheres to their medication," Roess says, "tuberculosis can be easily cured."
Egypt Independent
27-02-2025
- Health
- Egypt Independent
All you need to know about new bat Coronavirus found in China
Scientists in China have discovered a new type of coronavirus in bats that can infect human cells, but experts say it does not pose a public health threat—at the moment. Scientists reported to the journal 'Cell' that they found the virus, named HKU5-CoV-2 in samples taken from a Pipistrellus bat. As with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it uses ACE2 receptors to enter human cells. However, there is no evidence that the virus has currently infected humans, and US government health experts say it does not spread as easily as the COVID-19 virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told CNN: 'There is no reason to believe that it currently poses a public health concern,' adding that 'it will continue to monitor viral disease activity and provide important updates to the public.' Scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were able to identify the virus while studying bats. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), according to the health website HealthDay News. Laboratory tests confirmed that HKU5-CoV-2 can infect human cells, but not as efficiently as the virus that causes COVID-19. No cause for concern A professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University's College of Public Health, Amira Roess, told CNN that there is no cause for concern. 'The researchers themselves indicate that this should not cause panic,' she assured. Laboratory tests also showed that existing antiviral drugs used against COVID work against HKU5-CoV-2. A professor at the University of Washington Medical Center, Alex Greninger, said that the discovery was not surprising. He added, 'It's likely that there are a large number of coronaviruses circulating in bats that can enter human cells.' Experts stressed that HKU5-CoV-2 should not divert attention from more pressing health threats, such as the avian flu now spreading among birds, cows, and cats. Greninger said, 'They're here every winter, so frankly, we should be talking about those and not HKU5.' This view was echoed by an assistant professor of molecular biology at Colorado College, Phoebe Lostroh, author of 'Molecular and Cellular Biology of Viruses.' She told CNN, 'We should be more concerned about issues like bird flu and its impact on cows, cats, and all kinds of other mammals than a new coronavirus isolated from a group of bats in China that reminds us of SARS-CoV-2 but isn't really a breakthrough discovery.' Despite the lack of an immediate threat, Roess noted that the study highlights the importance of global health surveillance. She added, 'It's sad to think about how we isolate ourselves from the global public health world.' The study on the new coronavirus in China also serves as a reminder to avoid close contact with wildlife, especially birds and bats. 'There are other things that bats carry that could be a big problem for people,' Roess said. She concluded, 'So respect these wild animals, and don't interact with them too much, because you could end up hurting them and hurting yourself.' Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
